Purple Martin Forum

We're north of San Antonio. Last winter was severe; the solution froze many times, but they always came through. Since they were females, I had a hard time identifying them. I learned that overwintering hummers are really quite common, even staying behind in states north of ours! Amazing little crea...

Well spoken, Sharon. Those first days of silence always make my heart ache a little. Then February finally rolls around and joy! At least we've got the monarch migration to look forward to, and then there are the overwintering hummingbirds I've had for the last three years! I recommend that those of...

We went last night and it was truly amazing. There was a significant crowd in the parking lot, too. How anyone can begin to estimate those moving numbers is a mystery to me. Meanwhile, this past Sunday, our last gourd fledged - two chicks raised by a single mother. Our small flock is still hanging a...

We're going Tuesday night. Thanks, Louise!

Reading the transcript to this story, it sounds like now is the peak time to go. Is this true? I want to get the timing just right, and since the headline says THOUSANDS of birds, but the reporter says Audubon has reported numbers up to a half million, I'm thinking the latter number is a historical ...

Good to know they're being closely monitored. I'll bet it's a fascinating study.

Same here! Just the other afternoon, after my initial post here, my son saw the blur of our rufous in pursuit of another hummer! Now I've got to strategically place the second feeder far enough from the house in hopes to make it too difficult for rufous to defend both simultaneously. I wonder what t...

I live just north of San Antonio and have either a female or juvenile male rufous (could be Allen's) hummingbird making our yard its home ever since early September. Last week, we had nighttime temps plummet to the high twenties, where upon I brought the feeders in to keep the nectar from freezing a...

Thanks, ToyinPA, for the link to the other post. Wish I'd known the homemade solution for dehydrated birds...I was lacking salt! Also, this is an older bird, so I don't know that the dog/cat food trick would apply here. Yes, Louise. Thank you for your suggestion. I did look for a local wildlife chap...

I woke up to two fledgling birds on the ground. They are barely able to fly (a few inches off the ground). Not knowing who they belonged to, we put them on the balcony of two other birds which seem to be the same age (very little yellow on the sides of the beak). About an hour later, one of those bi...

Thank you, Fotoman - I look forward to browsing the site you provided. Even better since it's from Texans for Texans.

robin

Great work, Veronica! Hats off to you and your boyfriend!

robin

Hi, Linda - Great advice and gorgeous photos! I've also heard that the Orchard Oriole may breed in this area, and while I've fed butterflies and bees orange slices during the winter, I haven't set them out for the orioles. I will definitely follow your lead, and sure hope I get your results. Thank y...

Thank you, Lyn! That's exactly what I had in mind!

Veronica, you are the lucky one to have hummers year-round! I'd love to see an oriole (I've got one of those feeders) but haven't sighted one yet...plenty of painted buntings, though .

Robin

I'm wondering: Does anyone know of a site dedicated to hummingbirds and posting their arrivals? One was spotted this past Friday in El Paso!

Robin

Hi, Joe, Arriving to the day three years in a row! Amazing little birds, aren't they? That's exactly why I'm worried! Being I do have lookers is encouraging. I'll get that tape rolling (if I can't find it, I hope Daytime Chatter will do...) That being said, my heart is very heavy for the lack of my ...

I can't shake the feeling that something has happened to my main patriarch, possibly the other as well. I should have them here by now (a week late when the bulk seem to be arriving early) claiming their nest cavities. Instead, all I've had is a very brief visit by two martins last week (not to retu...

Thank you, Emil, for your encouragement...coming from your many years of experience, I am optimistic again.

Robin

Last week, a female landed on the 16th, but didn't stay, not even for the night. On the eighteenth, a female (same one?) swooped by the houses and circled above and was later joined by a male (which I believed to be one of my patriarchs we call Little John). Both landed and expressed interest in the...

After my birds have been gone for about a month , this past Sunday they began returning for several hours every day! Since I have a small colony, I recognize my two dominant males, Ivan and Little John, by their signature songs. All week, they have been squabbling over boundary lines, or rather, mai...